The Runaways
by AurelieCriss
Summary: When Katara and Zuko flee the oppressed land of the former Fire Nation, they hesitantly let a blind earthbender and a monk who is supposedly the mythological Avatar to tag along. As the four benders travel to Ba Sing Se, where rumors of freedom of oppression run rampant, they must evade the ever-present armada of the anti-bending crusade, all whilst becoming more powerful benders.
1. Escape From The City Of Omashu

**Okay, so I had the inspiration for this story late one night, and I just had to write it! It's an Alternate Universe, which takes place in the present-day, but still in the world of ATLA. The themes are similar to that of LOK, but not quite, and all relationships established in each series aren't relevant. I'm only using the characters, the settings, and the base of the plot for this story. If you have any questions, or if you're confused about what's happening, please let me know. Thank you, and enjoy! P.S. My chapters usually will NOT be this long. :D**

 _The City Of Omashu -September 2015-_

Katara quickly shoved her hands in her pants, which, of course, resulted in a rather embarrassing patch of water on her leg. She didn't mean to do it, sometimes she just couldn't help it. She hadn't even noticed she had done it until stupid old Mary Henson had to go and point it out to the teacher.

"Ms. Young, Ms. Young! Katara is doing it again!" she screeched in her high-pitched, annoying as hell voice. Katara flinched, effectively breaking her concentration, and down the water fell, straight onto her lap. She glared daggers at Mary, who smirked back at her, relishing in Katara's embarrassment. Oh, if only Katara could truly show her what she was capable of.

Ms. Young sat down the Biology book with a dull thud, and walked over to where Katara and Mary sat. Katara sat up straighter, determined not to bow down to her teacher. Ms. Young stopped right in front of Katara, hands on hips, looking down at her. "Katara," she explained, tsking her tongue. Katara hated her, she hated Mary, she hated anyone who tried to make her feel stupid for having a unique ability. "You know the rules. No element bending allowed in school, or anywhere for that matter," She raised her hand, pointing toward the door. Katara narrowed her eyes, before standing up abruptly, her face suddenly inches away from Ms. Young's. Katara searched her eyes, trying to find a reason why she would want Katara to suppress her natural gift, and she found nothing. She knew that the only reason there was an anti-bending movement going on was because the leaders of the nations didn't want someone more powerful than them rising up the ranks.

Katara glared at Ms. Young for a second longer, before shoving past her and heading for the door. On the way, Katara heard a snigger coming from a boy she used to have a crush on. Furious, she turned violently to the left, and focused on the beaker full of water in front of the boy. She couldn't help herself, she pulled the water out of the beaker, and shot it straight at her former crush's face. Soaking wet, and looking like a confused puppy, the class howled with laughter at the expense of the boy who had the bright idea to cross Katara.

Before Katara could bask in how easy it was to change a classroom full of sixteen-year-old's minds, she felt a sharp, electrifying pain course through her arms and down her spine. She froze, her face clenching up in a very ugly fashion, and she couldn't make any noise except a sharp, smooth stream of breath out of her nose. The pain was blinding, but brief, and when it was over Katara, fuming, faced her teacher, who was holding the remote control lazily in her hand. She looked at Katara as if she were a small child. "Go, now, Katara, before I turn up the voltage," she said sweetly.

Katara clenched her fists, but she knew that she would be unable to bend any water for a little while. _Stupid electric chi blockers,_ she thought to herself as she stomped down the hall to the detention room. She wasn't angry about having to go to detention, she couldn't care less about getting to spend the rest of the class hour in a classroom full of people like her, she was angry with the fact that she wasn't allowed to use her ability in public.

Waterbending, or bending of any sort, was a beautiful, exceptionally extraordinary phenomenon that deserved to be respected, to be taught, to be encouraged. Katara supposed that there was a time, with the first benders, where they commanded said respect, but that time was long ago, and now, if one was born with the ability to bend an element, they were tainted, they were unwanted, they were different.

Most of the benders left now are orphans, given up by parents who didn't want the burden of hiding their child's power, and they tend to live alone, isolated, afraid to use their gift. Katara herself only had one good friend, another bender, and she didn't even know how they became to be friends. Perhaps it was all the detention spent together.

Katara opened the door with her legs, kicking it in, because her arms were still limp and weak from the chi shock. Inside, she saw the typical array of students. There was Aang the airbender, who was curled up in a ball, his eyes closed, rocking back and forth at random. Katara had never understood the airbender, and maybe she thought that that was because there were fewer of them, and therefore they had to find other ways to cope with oppression, or maybe it was because back when bending was accepted, the airbenders were the nomads, the monks. Katara tried not to focus on it too much, because it just got complicated.

Sitting in the farthest desk from the teacher's, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, her feet tapping, was the earthbender Toph. She was blind, and Katara had heard rumors that she got around by using her feet to sense movement, and she had also heard rumors that Toph Beifong was a hell of a bender. But for now, she didn't bend anything. She kept her mouth shut, and stared at nothing.

And then there were the others, scattered around. There was the ever-present group that called themselves the Freedom Riders. Katara wasn't sure if they were actual benders, but she knew that they supported the cause to free the benders of their oppression, and so she tolerated them. But Katara hardly paid attention to these people. She found who she was looking for sitting in the middle of the room, his hands laced in front of him, sitting on the desk. His dark hair covered half of his face, and the half that was revealed was the damaged half, the half that was scarred. Katara made a beeline to Zuko, the firebender, and sat down next to him. He stirred at his presence, and turned his head to face her. Katara gave him half a smile, before stretching out her arms.

"What're you in for?" she asked nonchalantly. Zuko shrugged his shoulders. "Same old, same old. My flame in chemistry was a bit too small, so I gave it a boost, and of course, my lab partner had to go and tattle," he said, his good eye rolling. He sat back, leaning against the back of his seat, resting his head on his hand. Katara tried massaging the muscles in her arms, anything to give her feeling back.

Zuko narrowed his eyes at her, his expression one of concern. "Did they chi block you?" he asked, his voice soft. But not soft enough. At the word 'chi', all the muted chatter came to a stop, and all eyes were looking at Katara and Zuko. It was already unusual enough for a waterbender and a firebender to inhabit the same space, but now, everyone was listening in on their conversation. Katara swallowed, her eyes gazing at the kids in the room. Even Aang, who was slightly paranoid Katara resolved, lifted his head, and listened in.

"Uh, yeah, they chi blocked me," she said quietly. The other kids in the room gasped, and a few opened their mouths to speak, but the room monitor hushed everyone up quickly, and nobody got a chance to ask Katara what exactly 'chi-blocking' felt like. Zuko leaned his head closer to his best friend, trying to be extra quiet. "Isn't this the third time?" he breathed. Katara looked at him, annoyed. Zuko wasn't her father, or her brother, he didn't have a right to talk to her like she was a child.

"It's not like I was asking for it," she hissed. Zuko pulled back a bit, turning to face the front of the room. Katara groaned, a part of her feeling bad for hurting Zuko's feelings, but a larger part of her being irritated at how sensitive he was. She placed a hand on his arm and gave it a small squeeze. "I'm sorry," she said. Zuko sighed, rubbing his eyes. He faced Katara once more, taking her hand in his. "I hate this injustice," he said. Katara exhaled softly, resting her head on Zuko's shoulder. "Yeah, me too. It really sucks," she murmured.

Zuko rested his head on top of Katara's, and gazed at the ceiling. "Maybe we should just run away, start a colony of benders somewhere deep in the mountains, maybe even make it to Ba Sing Se," he mused, his voice trailing off. Katara didn't respond, because Zuko's words had a hint of truth to them. What if she did run away? Just left this Godforsaken city and went to hide in the mountains, where water was plentiful and she didn't have to hide who she really was? Hm, perhaps we should, she thought, before closing her eyes and picturing a world where she could be free.

* * *

Katara trudged through the rain, her boots brown with mud, and her hair hanging in strings in front of her face. She wanted badly to just bend the water in a crescent over her head, but she didn't dare bend in public, out in the open, because if anyone had seen her, they could call the police and then she'd be in real trouble. She'd heard rumors of the prisons where rebel benders were kept, and she shuddered at the thought of being shipped off to one of them.

Of course, it may be worth it even for a few seconds of being able to bend freely, using as much power as one could muster. Katara approached the gloomy, decrepit building that passed as a group home, and paused right outside of it, looking up at the rooms. She sighed, hating the fact that she had to stay in the house for a another two years. The kids she was staying with weren't even benders, they were just your average run-of-the-mill orphans, and none of them wanted to be associated with a waterbender, so they kept their distance.

Katara didn't feel lonely, and she was grateful for the isolation, because without it, she wouldn't be able to sneak off as easily.

Katara clambered up the stairs, passing a few girls who stood in a group, whose chatter fell to a hush the moment Katara walked past. Katara ignored them and their ever-present stares, and continued down the hallway to where her room was. It was a tiny room, but she was able to decorate as she pleased. More as a slap in the face than anything, Katara had painted the room bright blue, with the ancient Water Tribe insignia covering one whole wall. The symbol also adorned the outside of her door, and she had taken to doodling it on any scraps of paper she could find. This was her own version of a silent protest.

Katara silently pulled out her textbooks and did her homework quietly. She cursed Ms. Young for giving her such a huge homework load, and quit halfway through it, slamming the book closed and standing up, groaning, releasing a tiny shred of the pent-up anger she felt.

Clenching her fists and trying to keep from screaming, Katara went downstairs to where dinner was being served, and sat down at the opposite end of the table, the other seven or so girls occupying the other end. While their voices lowered when Katara arrived, they kept speaking in an undertone, glancing at Katara every now and then. Katara did her best to focus on her meal, and eat quickly, because she was planning on meeting Zuko at eight, but she couldn't help but overhear bits of the girls' conversation.

"She looked like a monkey when they did the electric thing on her, did you see her face? All scrunched up and stupid-looking," one girl, Halsey, said. Katara clenched her fingers around her fork, and swallowed roughly, her stomach curling with anger. She pressed her mouth into a tight line, and trained her eyes on the grainy wood, but she couldn't resist. She knew they were all looking for her. She knew they were trying to provoke her into bending.

And so she slid her eyes up and locked them with Halsey's. Halsey stared at Katara, smirking, as if she were better than her. Katara's palms grew sweaty with fury, and her glass of water began to vibrate ever so slightly. "What, did I say something to upset you?" Halsey cooed, tilting her head, treating Katara like a child. Katara exhaled loudly through her nose, and stood up violently, shaking the whole table. The other girls looked up at her lazily, as if they weren't scared of her. They should be.

"What're you going to do? Pour water on us?" another one said, laughing coldly. Katara's eyes narrowed into slits, her fingers spreading out in spasms. She hadn't done it in a long time, and she wasn't sure if she still could, but dammit she had to try. She had to teach these girls a lesson.

She'd have to run away if she did it. There was no turning back once she revealed her other ability. She accepted that consequence, and focused all of her energy and concentration on Halsey in particular. "You think that's all I can do?" she said, her voice smooth and silky, and even a bit evil. Halsey's eyes flickered a bit, but she sat up straighter and crossed her arms. "Do your worst, peasant,"

That was it. Katara's whole being flushed with a rage unlike anything she had ever felt, and she could feel the water running through Halsey's veins, and she smiled masochistically. All of sudden, Halsey's smirk faded from her face, her eyes losing their glee, to be replaced by fear. The other girls backed off too, their stances becoming one of flight, and they watched in a panic as Katara raised her hands, and bended the blood in Halsey's body, forcing her to stand upright completely. She tried to speak, but Katara wouldn't allow her to. Her eyes were wide with terror, and she couldn't do anything.

Katara's smile disappeared as she focused harder, she bent her hand down, causing Halsey to bend at an awkward angle, until she couldn't hold herself anymore, and she collapsed onto the ground. Katara's concentration broke at that moment, and she couldn't bloodbend any longer. Realizing she had control of her own body again, Halsey scrambled away from Katara, tears running down her eyes. "You're a monster!" she sobbed, clinging to the other girls, as they crowded around her, too afraid to even look at Katara. Halsey sobbing, called for the headmistress, and Katara knew she had to run.

Dashing up the stairs, she grabbed her backpack, emptied it of her school contents, and threw as many belongings into it as she could, including the necklace her mother had given her, before leaving her on the steps of the group home. She pulled a black jacket on, zipped it up tight, pulled her long, dark hair into a ponytail, and opened up her window. Taking one last glance at the place she called home, she climbed out the window, and fell about three feet onto the awning above the back door. She could hear Halsey tearfully explaining what had happened, and as she slid to the ground, landing hard on her feet, she thought she heard something smash against a wall, but she wasn't sure, because she had broken off into a run, trying to put as much distance between the group home and herself as possible.

After about fifteen minutes of pure running, Katara wound up at Zuko's home. Since he was eighteen, he was able to live on his own, and the small shack the he called a house stood in silence, dark against the others, which were all well-lit and homey. Katara rapped on his door, and waited anxiously for him to open it. She couldn't stay here forever, for it wasn't a secret that she and Zuko were friends. She hoped that Zuko really did want to run away, because now was the time.

Zuko opened the door, rubbing his eyes. "Katara? It's not eight yet," he said matter-of-factly. Katara rolled her eyes, shoving him aside and entering his little studio. Zuko turned to face her, confused. "I know that. I ran away," she said, checking the windows to make sure she didn't see the flashing lights of the police. Zuko sat back down on his bed, brushing the hair out of his eyes. "Katara, you've run away plenty of times before," he said. Katara was angry, why did he have to ask so many questions? "Yeah, but this time was for real," she said, and she locked eyes with him. "I _bloodbended_ , Zuko. Not only did I break the law, but I attempted to harm someone through my bending. You know what the penalty for that is? Death. Which is why I need to run away, far away, somewhere where I won't be persecuted for being who I am. And I want you to come with me," she explained. Zuko stared up at her, unblinking, as he processed her words.

And then he stood up, rubbing his temples, and pacing back and forth. "You bloodbended? I didn't even know that was possible," he murmured, his pacing speeding up. Katara was growing frustrated. She needed to leave. "I didn't know that conjuring lightning was possible until you told me about it," she pointed out. Zuko stared at her, exasperated. "Yeah, but I wouldn't ever dream of doing it!" he cried. Katara groaned, stomping her feet like a little kid.

"I don't have time for this, Zuko! My headmistress has probably already called the police! I'm a fugitive, and I need to run as far away from here as possible! You're the one who is always talking about going somewhere where people like us can be free, and now's your chance! Now either let's go, or I hope that you have a good life, because I probably won't ever see you again!"

Zuko hesitated a moment longer, and Katara was about to walk out, when he grabbed onto her arm, and spun her back around. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked quietly, seriously. Katara swallowed, looking up defiantly at Zuko. "What choice do I have?" Zuko hesitated, before nodding and grabbing his own bag of things.

When he was packed, the two snuck outside quietly, and sprinted off down the streets, trying to blend into the shadows cast by the setting sun. Katara didn't know exactly where she was going, but she trusted her feet to take her somewhere safe. Zuko didn't ask questions, just blindly followed Katara, whether it be through loyalty or not, Katara did not know. She was just glad to have a companion with her as she ran away from the law.

After about an hour of running, including short breaks, Katara and Zuko arrived at an old, abandoned Sun Temple, deep in the forest surrounding their home city of Omashu. Recalling her knowledge of history, Katara knew that the land she lived in used to be ruled by master firebenders, back in the ancient times when benders ruled the world. The Sun Temple was a ruin that was built by the sages, and the firebenders gathered here to worship, or to practice their bending. The monument was largely shunned by the general population of Omashu, and the only people who had visited were juvenile kids whose only motive was to graffiti the old stone.

Katara took off her backpack, and collapsed next to it, wishing she had packed some bottles of water. Zuko sat next to her, and held a flame of fire in his hand. Katara liked watching Zuko firebend, which she didn't get to see very often, and she envied him for having an unlimited source of fire, for not having to rely on it being around him. Katara looked at her surroundings that moment, and sighed with relief when she discovered a small stream a few meters away. At least she could use her bending. In fact, she stood up, her legs weak with fatigue, and walked over to the stream, lifting her hands.

The water swirled up in little spirals, and she curled them into floating orbs, relishing in her element. She never felt more at peace than when she was bending, and the years of being oppressed made it feel only more special. She carried the orbs of water back to Zuko, and held it as he sucked the water from the air, and sighed with contention as the cool water hit his throat. Katara drank hers, and smiled a bit. She would be okay, she had Zuko, and she was a _waterbender_.

Just as she was about to ask Zuko where they should head the next morning, she heard a shift in the leaves. She jumped up at the same time as Zuko, and held up her hands, ready to pull more water from the stream to defend herself. Zuko held a defensive stance as well, but Katara worried that it would be inadequate if they came face-to-face with a bender, which was unlikely, but she made a mental note to practice her forms more whenever she had time.

"Who's there!" she called warily, trying to see through the darkness. Without Zuko's flame, everything was black. A voice that Katara recognized answered her. "What're you two doing here?" it said. Katara glanced at Zuko, scrunching her eyebrows together in confusion. Before Katara could figure out who it was, Toph Beifong appeared from the shadows, Katara only just able to make out her silhouette in the moonlight. "Toph?" she said, squinting her eyes to try and get a better look. It _was_ Toph. Her black hair was piled on top of her head, and Katara could see the green and brown colors that Toph wore out of respect to the Earth Kingdom of long ago.

"Katara? I knew it was you," she said, lowering her arms. Katara lowered hers too, and Zuko lit a flame, illuminating the scene. Toph stood a few feet away, her feet bare and her eyes hazy. "What're you doing out here?" Zuko asked, his voice raspy. Toph crossed her arms. "I could ask you the same thing," she said, tapping her foot. Katara gulped, she did not want to confide in the blind earthbender her situation. But then again, she's sure that Toph would understand just as well as Zuko. "I ran away from my group home," she said slowly, simply. Toph's face turned towards hers, and she relaxed her stance a bit.

"Did you bend in front of them?" she asked. Katara shrugged her shoulders. "You could say that," she said, careful not to reveal anything. Toph's eyes narrowed, and Katara had a funny feeling that Toph knew that she wasn't telling her everything, but she did her best to ignore it. She jerked her head in Zuko's direction. "Why is he with you?" she interrogated. Katara glanced at Zuko, who, confused, cleared his throat. "We're running away together. We're trying to get to Ba Sing Se, where I've heard that there are plenty of benders, and no oppression," he declared.

Toph's eyes widened and she ran forward a few paces. "You're going to Ba Sing Se?! Oh, you have to let me come!" she begged. Katara backed a way, shocked that Toph Beifong would want to join her and Zuko. It's not like they were ever friends. The only thing they had in common was that they were cursed with the unfortunate ability to bend certain elements.

"Um," Katara said, once again looking at Zuko, who shrugged his shoulders. Katara looked back at Toph, and the look of desperation on her face showed Katara that Toph understood Katara's own internal struggles, and how could Katara deny a fellow bender the same future that she herself desired? The answer was she couldn't, and so she sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I guess you can come along," she finally said.

Toph's face broke into a smile, and she stood up straighter. "This is going to be a great adventure," she said, and then she faltered. "Um, but before we head out, actually, there's something else," she said, clasping her hands together. Katara groaned.

Toph continued on. "We can't leave without bringing Aang, the airbender," she said. Katara stepped back, shocked. Zuko's flame flickered a bit, as his eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to argue. No way were they going to let the crazy, psychotic airbender join them on their quest to find freedom. No. Fucking. Way. Katara wasn't even sure she could handle a blind earthbender, let alone a schizophrenic monk. But before she could protest, Toph spoke.

"Oh calm down, he's not crazy like everyone believes him to be. He's a bender just like us, an airbender, but he's much, much more than that," Toph leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a low hush. Suddenly, her demeanor became one of intense seriousness, and Katara felt the air around her grow cold. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling she was about to find out.

Toph took a deep breath before continuing. "He's the Avatar,"

Katara couldn't help it, she felt her eyes roll back in her head, and before she realized what had happened, she had collapsed on top of Zuko, fainting from the amount of pure shock and adrenaline coursing through her body.


	2. The Avatar

**So, the hardest part of this story is translating it into the modern-day era, so please bear with me while I figure out exactly how I want to play it. Other than that, enjoy! :D**

 _September 2015_

"Where does the _Avatar_ even live?" Katara asked, her voice twisting the word 'avatar' through her lips. She still couldn't fully wrap her head around the fact that the strange, fourteen-year-old boy that sat hunched in a ball was the Avatar, the master of all four elements. Why hadn't he revealed him self? No, that was a stupid question. Katara knew why. If Aang revealed himself as the Avatar, the world's forces would be after to him, seeking to destroy him.

Maybe that's why he always seemed so crazy. He not only had to suppress airbending, but the other three types as well. Katara couldn't even imagine. She bent the sweat off of her body and Zuko's, as the three climbed higher and higher up the mountain that towered over all of Omashu. Toph ignored Katara's question, and instead lifted her hands, and made a sweeping motion, and in an instant, all the rock and stone and nature that was making their trek difficult were swept to either side, forming a smooth path of dirt. Katara's mouth dropped, and when she looked over to Zuko, she saw that his was dropped too.

Katara had never seen earthbending in action, she had only read about it. While waterbending and firebending were fluid elements that required smooth, connected motions and a light stance, earthbending was entirely different. Toph's stance was firm and strong, her muscles tensed and tight, and her movements swift and forceful. She looked, honestly, extremely powerful. Katara watched in amazement as Toph continued clearing the pathway, and Katara eventually forgot about her question and just walked behind Toph, mesmerized by her movements.

Just as the moon was high above them, the three benders stopped at a huge wall of stone blocking their path. Katara suspected that Toph could just bend the stone apart, but she didn't. She stood in front of it, and faced Katara and Zuko. "I haven't told anyone else about Aang, and I only told you because I trust you," she said seriously, her blind eyes staring at a point off in the distance. Katara swallowed, stepping closer to Zuko. "Hey," Toph said, holding up her hands, as if she could sense that Katara was nervous. "Don't be afraid. Aang hasn't mastered all the elements yet, he's nothing to be afraid of. And he's not crazy like everyone thinks he is. He's just really good at meditating," she added as a side note, and then she lifted her hand and rapped the thick stone.

A few seconds later, another reply rap could be heard, and Toph smiled, stepping back. Katara and Zuko followed her lead, and they both watched as Toph broke open the stone, revealing a small little cave. Katara peered inside, but without the moonlight, it was hard to see anything. Toph glanced behind her at Katara and Zuko, and then stepped inside. "Hey Aang, I brought some friends with me," she said, plopping down next to an invisible figure.

Katara could not make out Aang's face, but she knew he was there. "Who did you bring?" he asked, his voice surprisingly young. Toph motioned for Katara and Zuko to step inside. Zuko went first, taking Katara's hand in his. "You know Zuko and Katara? From school?" Toph asked. In the dim light, Katara could just make out Aang's outline. He sat criss-crossed, his hands held up, as if he were meditating, which he probably was. Katara remembered vaguely from a reading that the airbenders were very connected to the Spirit World, and practiced meditation frequently. She supposed that Aang was just trying to stay true to his roots. That, or because he was the Avatar.

Dammit, he _was_ the Avatar. Katara was in the presence of the most powerful being on the planet, she had to keep reminding herself of this. But it was hard to accept, seeing as Aang was younger than her, and definitely didn't seem to be all-powerful. "Oh yeah," Aang said. "The waterbender and the firebender, right?" Toph nodded. "Yeah, it's a whole team," she said sarcastically. "Anyway, Twinkletoes, the waterbender is running away, and they're heading to Ba Sing Se. And so I thought we could go with them," Aang's eyes opened at that, and they shined grey in the darkness. He seemed mildly surprised, but mostly excited.

He jumped up, and Katara was afraid that he would hit his head against the low ceiling, but he floated down quite majestically, landing lightly on his feet. Right, he's an airbender, Katara thought. "Could we get some light in here? I'd like to see your faces," Aang said in the darkness. Katara opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, Zuko conjured a small flame in his hand, and suddenly the cave was washed with a dim orange glow. Toph sat with her ankles crossed, leaning against her hands, and Aang was standing, looking straight at Katara.

He wasn't dressed in his typical school clothes. He was dressed in what Katara recognized to be traditional airbender monk clothes. But that wasn't what she noticed right away. What she noticed was his head, which was bald as a baby's butt. And the tattoos. A blue arrow that curved along his scalp, and down his arms and even his legs. It wasn't unusual to have a tattoo, but they were usually little flowers of butterflies, not arrows. Aang always wore some sort of sweatshirt in school, and it was always tied tight around his neck, which Katara and the other students used to think was extremely strange, but now Katara understood why. If Aang pranced around with a bald head and airbender tattoos, he'd be arrested for an inappropriate display of body art.

Wow, Aang really was trying to stay true to his roots. He was practicing things that hadn't been practiced in thousands of years. Katara looked warily at Zuko, who looked warily back. "Uh, hi, Aang. I'm Katara, nice to meet you formally," she said, holding out her hand. Aang's face broke into a smile, and Katara thought his face had a cute, adolescent look about it. It made her happy. Aang was just a kid, not a crazy schizophrenic.

"Hello, Katara. I'm Aang," he introduced, bowing low, making Katara giggle. Blushing, she turned to face Zuko who was giving her such a look that it made Katara raise her shoulders. "What?" she asked, genuinely confused. Zuko shook his head slightly, and held out his hand to Aang, who took it just as eagerly as he had Katara. "I'm Zuko," Zuko said simply, casting a sly glance Katara's way. Aang shook his hand, grinning from ear to ear. "Wow, a firebender and a waterbender? Together? Amazing," he said, staring in awe at both Katara and Zuko. Katara's face pinked, and she distracted herself by looking around the cave.

There was no bed, no clothes, nothing that would be in a home. Only a few pillows, and a huge banner with the ancient Air Nomad insignia on it, not unlike Katara's old room. "Do you, er, live here?" Katara asked, feeling a bit stupid. Aang's eyes rested on Katara once more, and he chuckled, looking around the room. "Are you kidding me? Of course not. This is just where I meditate," he said, gesturing to the room. He pointed down at Toph, who sat in the same position, listening to everything.

"Toph helped me build it a few years ago. I sleep down at the orphanage, like most of the other benders," he explained. Katara walked over to the Air Nomad banner, running her hands on the frayed, sun-stained fabric. "Do the other benders know you're the Avatar?" she asked absentmindedly, coming upon what looked like a wooden staff, resting against the cave wall. She touched it briefly, before pulling her hand away. This wasn't her stuff, she shouldn't be snooping. She looked back at Aang, who's gaze had followed her around the short cave.

"No," he said. "You three are the only people who know," Zuko stepped forward, holding his flame higher. "Why haven't you tried to restore balance to the world and stop the anti-bending oppression?" he asked harshly. Aang didn't flinch, he just shrugged his shoulders. "I'm only fourteen, and I haven't mastered all the elements yet. Toph's been helping me on earthbending, and I've been doing my best to research ancient bending techniques on the battered old computer at the orphanage, but it's difficult without proper teachers," And with that he looked hopefully over at Katara, who, confused, looked back at him.

"What?" she asked, standing next to Zuko. Aang blushed, and wrung his hands together. "Oh, it's nothing," he said. Toph's ears perked up, and she stood up. "Oh, just ask her, Twinkletoes," she said, putting her hands on her hips. Aang's eyes narrowed and he glared daggers at Toph, before turning back to face Katara, grinning innocently. "Um, Katara," he said slowly. Katara raised her eyebrows, looking up at Zuko, who looked back down at her, frowning.

"Will you teach me how to waterbend?" Aang finished, jumping up too high and landing far too lightly. At that moment, it all clicked. Katara turned to face Toph, who stood quite calmly, staring at Katara. "You only wanted to join us so that you could manipulate us into teaching the Avatar the other two elements!" she accused, pointing her finger at Toph. Toph shrugged her shoulders, walking past Katara and out into the moonlight. Katara followed her angrily, while Aang and Zuko stayed back, afraid to get involved. Aang leaned over toward's Zuko, placing his hand in front of his mouth. "Does she always get this angry?" he whispered.

Zuko snapped his head to look down at the Avatar, and narrowed his eyes, stepping back. "No," he said simply.

Katara advanced on Toph, who easily sidestepped her. "Answer me!" she cried, her voice echoing down the mountainside. Toph huffed, crossing her arms. "Do you want all of Omashu to hear you?!" she yelled quietly. Katara shut her mouth, but continued glaring at Toph. Toph hesitated, before sighing and dropping her arms. "Yeah, I wanted to join you so I could get you to help Aang. But is that such a bad thing? You get to teach the Avatar, you get to be a part of history. How great would it feel to play a part in ending this era of discrimination? You of all people should be kneeling on your hands and knees at Aang's feet, worshipping the ground he walks on, because he's the answer to all of your questions, but he can't help you if you don't help him," she finished, staring at Katara a beat longer, and then walking back into the cave.

"Come on, we need to get Aang's things from the orphanage and then we need to get as far away from here as we can. We can steal a car or something if we need to," she muttered, waving Aang along. Katara stayed outside, furious, but unjustly so. Toph's words rang true, but that didn't mean Katara wanted them to. As Aang and Toph prepared to leave, Zuko walked outside, and slung his arm across Katara's shoulders. "I can't believe he's the Avatar," he said, staring up at the moon. Katara rested her head on Zuko's shoulder, sighing. "How can he be the legendary, mythical being that I've spent so much time researching? I thought the Avatar was supposed to be a strong, wise, powerful person," she said.

Zuko pulled away and looked at Katara. "They were, but that was back when benders were accepted, and the Avatar had all the resources to become educated and learned in the art of bending," he offered. "Ever since the anti-bending movement began, the Avatar hasn't shown himself for the past four hundred years. The last one to do it was ultimately killed, and the rest after that learned to go into hiding. It's possible that we're just seeing a version of the Avatar before his training his complete. You've just got to have faith," Katara placed her hand on his cheek, smirking at him.

"What happened to the sullen, surly, hostile Zuko that I know and love?" she asked. Zuko chuckled, pulling Katara into a hug. "I'm just trying to make you feel better. I never said I liked the Avatar, if that helps," Katara laughed into Zuko's chest, pulling him into a tighter embrace.


	3. Two Voices

**Alright, just to answer a few questions left in the reviews:**

 **1\. Yes, this story is going to be mostly Taang and Zutara, but that doesn't mean it'll stay that way permanently.**

 **2\. This story is set in the 21st century, present day. I will always put the month and the year at the beginning of every chapter.**

 **3\. No, I will not be including Momo or Appa, because it's just not feasible. There will be references to those types of creatures, and maybe their names even, but there won't be any physical representation of the two creatures, unfortunately.**

 **Okay, now that those are answered, enjoy!**

 _Descending The Mountain -September 2015-_

"Are you two lovebirds done? I'd like to set off," Toph interrupted. Zuko and Katara broke apart, and Katara gave Toph such a look, she wished that Toph could've seen it. Toph carried nothing, and Aang had the strange staff in his hand. He was smiling wildly, and Katara suspected that his constant optimism would start to get on her nerves, but she pushed the thought away. No need to start hating the kid now, not when a good three or so months of traveling together stood in front of them.

"The way down to the orphanage is really easy. Just follow the trail of petals down the mountain," Aang said, looping his arm around Toph's waist. Katara looked over at Zuko, who raised his eyebrows. Were Toph and Aang a thing? Katara looked back at Aang, and suddenly, he lifted up his staff and shook it, and out popped what looked like wings. "What is that?" Zuko asked, stepping closer. Aang looked at the winged staff, and then back at Zuko.

"Oh, this is just my glider. The Air Nomads used to use it to get around. Toph sculpted it for me," he explained, looking at Toph, a small smile on his lips. Toph shrugged her shoulders, as if lazily acknowledging her handywork. It seemed to Katara that Toph was pretty skilled in all things Aang-related. For some reason, this rubbed her the wrong way. She stepped closer to Zuko. "Are you going to fly with it or something?" Zuko pressed, his eyes narrowing. Aang beamed, his hold on Toph tightening. Toph wrapped her arms around Aang's torso, her face blank.

"Yeah, actually!" he cried, standing on his tiptoes. "I bend the air around me, and it helps keep me afloat. Just follow the petals," And then they were off. Without any running start, without any leverage, Toph and Aang were up in the sky, flying. Katara and Zuko watched with amazement, feeling wholly insignificant stuck on the ground. "I kind of want to knock them out of the sky," she muttered absentmindedly. Zuko huffed. "Yeah, me too. But let's do what the kid says, and follow the petals. Sages knows they'll end up waiting for us, and I don't really want to get on Toph's bad side," And so the two benders walked down the mountain, jealousy spewing out of them, along with a bit of water and fire.

"Took you long enough," Toph scoffed, her arms crossed once again, and her foot tapping. Katara felt anger boil up inside of her, and Zuko had to hold her back. "Excuse us for having to take the long way down," she spat, her hands clenched into fists. Toph relaxed, picking up a bag and slinging it over her shoulders. "Geez, Sugar Queen, you need to relax, I haven't heard your heartbeat slow down once," she said nonchalantly, before stomping off. Katara, her eyes wide and alight with fury, glared at her back, confused.

Aang, clad in normal clothes, with his tattoos covered and his glider put away, watched Toph go. "Isn't she amazing?" he breathed, sighing. Katara narrowed her eyes, and again, Zuko had to hold her back. She had a feeling this was going to happen a lot. "What did she mean by her 'heartbeat' comment?" Zuko asked, pulling Katara next to him. While Katara was fuming with anger, the question did intrique her. Aang didn't turn to face them, just kept staring at Toph's moving figure. "She senses everything through movement, she can feel the vibrations through her feet. Your heartbeat is no exception," At this Aang did turn, and he had a mischievous look on his face. And then he sprang off, gliding effortlessly to meet Toph.

Katara wanted to scream, she hated being undermined and overpowered so easily. "I oughta show them exactly what I'm capable of," she sputtered, lifting her hands into a basic waterbending form. Zuko laid his hands on top of Katara's, surprisingly calm. "Don't worry, you'll get your chance," he said softly. Katara yanked her hands away from Zuko's, scrunching her eyebrows together. "Why aren't you as frustrated as I am?" she asked, her voice cold. Zuko looked at her.

"Katara, I am frustrated, but there's no use getting into fights over who is a more powerful bender. We're going to be spending a lot of time with them, so we need to learn to get along," he explained. Katara huffed, clomping away. "Since when did you become the voice of reason?" she murmured, running to catch up with Aang and Toph, who had put quite a bit of distance between the four of them. Zuko hesitated, watching Katara's angry figure walk away. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. In silence, he answered Katara's question.

"Since you became the voice of anger," he said, and he sighed again at the role reversal. If he wasn't so goddamn in love with her, he would've turned around at that moment and vowed never to bend again, but he was in love with her, and he didn't want to stop bending. The whole situation was ridiculously unfair, and in his own anger, he sent a fireball at a nearby tree, and watched it burn a bit, before flattening the flames.

It didn't make him feel any better.


	4. Border Patrol

**So, I need to remind you before you read this chapter that this is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, and therefore, all logic that has been established in ATLA and LOK is irrelevant. Of course, if I had followed the basic guidelines set by each respective series, this chapter would make no sense whatever, but I'm NOT, so keep that in mind. Also, this is more of a rough transition chapter than anything, and I just had to find a way to make their escape a bit more complex. After all, it can't be as easy as hopping in a car and zooming away peacefully towards the ocean. I mean, Aang's the AVATAR, weird things happen to him. ;) That said, enjoy!**

 _On The Highway -September 2015-_

"We could stow away on a train,"

"Or we could steal a car,"

"Or we could do the legal thing and just buy a few plane tickets,"

Even Zuko stopped dead in his tracks at Katara's words. All three benders turned to face Katara, with varying degrees of shock on each of their faces. Katara blushed, shrinking back a bit. She didn't think her idea was unreasonable, so she didn't quite understand why she was getting the reaction she was.

"Are you really that dense?" Toph asked, and her question was genuine, which made Katara even angrier than if it had be said in sarcasm. "It's a valid suggestion!" she cried, crossing her arms. Toph just stared at her, dumbfounded. A beat passed, and Aang stepped forward, placing his hand on Katara's arm. "It is a valid suggestion, but it's not feasible," he said kindly. Katara narrowed her eyes. "Why not?"

Aang eyes fell to the ground, his hand dropping from Katara's arm. Zuko finished Aang's thought. "For starters, we don't have near enough money for four plane tickets to go halfway across the world, and also, it'd be hard to stay in disguise. I'm sure by now they've alerted the authorities that four benders are on the run, and four different benders at that. It's just too dangerous," he finished explaining. Katara stared at him, eyes scrunched, and she knew that the others were right. She wasn't in the right state of mind. She needed to accept the fact that she was an outlaw and all forms of lawful transportation or anything else weren't options anymore.

Huffing, and accepting her stupidity, she uncrossed her arms, and adjusted her pack. "Let's just steal a fucking car," she murmured under her breath, before bypassing Aang and Zuko, and making extra sure to push Toph out of the way. Toph exclaimed in surprise, catching herself easily by bending a slab of rock underneath her. Zuko, sighing again, followed after her. Aang made sure Toph was okay, before setting off again.

"I'll drive," Katara said, lunging for the driver's seat before anyone else could. Zuko sat next to Katara in the front, while Aang and Toph occupied the backseat. "Yeah, because the blind girl driving is even an option," Toph said, rolling her eyes. Katara kept her mouth shut, and tried not to react to the obvious provocation that Toph was providing. Aang tried to lighten the mood by lounging back in his chair, resting his head against his raised arms. "Well, I'm only fourteen, so," he said. Toph chuckled a bit, but Zuko and Katara stayed silent.

Aang's grin fell, and he scowled. "Is this whole trip going to be spent scowling and secretly hating each other?" he asked, sitting up straight again. Katara didn't answer as she slammed her foot on the gas pedal. "Probably," Zuko answered instead. Whining, Aang slumped in his chair, resolving to look out of the window.

As the car sped down the highway, Katara's anxiety lessened a bit. As soon as they passed the outer edge of the city, she felt close to normal. She glanced in the rear view mirror, and saw Aang's small figure passed out, laying against Toph, who was also drifting off. Now that she mentioned it, Katara felt the tendrils of fatigue crawling up her neck. She hadn't slept for the past twelve hours. Zuko would have to switch places with her at some point.

But as she looked over at her best friend, and saw him sleeping soundly, she knew that she couldn't be selfish. As she drove in silence, she contemplated what exactly was happening. She was running away from her home, the only place she ever knew. She had left behind no friends, no family, and yet, she felt a sadness about leaving Omashu. She allowed herself a small sob, a quick expression of her feelings, and she pressed her lips together, and smoothed her face. She wasn't that person anymore, she was heading towards freedom. The thought of being able to bend freely, without restraint, made Katara's heart flutter and she even uttered a small smile at the idea. Her and Zuko could have actual, real battles, and maybe Zuko could even learn how to redirect or even produce lightning.

As these thoughts swept through her head, she didn't even realize that the traffic was coming to a standstill, and in her daydream, she about rear-ended the car in front of her. But she didn't. She slammed on the brakes, effectively waking everyone up as they were pushed forward forcefully, and then slammed back onto the back of the seats. "What the hell was that?!" Toph cried, rubbing her head. Katara was rubbing her head too, and her vision had yet to clear.

Aang's head peered to look through the gap between the front seat and the car door. Through it, he could just make out the scene. "Uh-oh," he said, his eyes widening. Katara rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her vision. "What is it?" she asked. Zuko held his hand up to shield his eyes from the blinding sun. Aang swallowed.

"Border patrol," he whispered.

Katara's heart skipped a beat. None of the benders had any sort of identification on them, and they hadn't even had time to develop fake alias's. This was not good. But wait. Why would there be border patrol agents on the island of Omashu? The whole island was one nation, why would there need to be protection right through the middle of it? Unless. . .

"They know Aang is the Avatar," Katara said, undoing her seatbelt and pulling her water skins tight around her waist. Zuko looks taken aback. "What? How?" he asked, astounded. Aang and Toph were wide-eyed too. Katara put the car in park as she pulled her hair back into a tight braid, gathering all of her belongings back into bag. "I don't know how, but why would they set up border patrol stations in the middle of the island?" she said. Toph held up her hands, her voice bewildered. "Hold on, Katara. If they knew that Aang was the Avatar, why haven't they tried to capture him?" she asked. Zuko seemed to be thinking on the same tangent as Katara, gathering his belongings and pulling on his shoes. "Why would someone want to waste valuable time and resources to capture someone who isn't even a threat as of yet? Aang's only a child, and for all they know, he's a loner who everyone thinks is crazy. Not to mention, it wouldn't be very becoming of the government to just kidnap a little boy who wasn't harming anyone. Oppressive or not, they're not stupid. They're likely waiting until he's of age, where they can take him into custody without fear of backlash from the general population," he explained.

Toph nodded, crossing her arms. "But how can you explain away the border patrol?" Katara groaned, wishing that Toph and Aang would quit interrogating her and gather their things too. "Just because they don't want to capture Aang yet doesn't mean they want him to escape. They're probably using the border patrol as an excuse to make sure he doesn't leave," she said. Toph raised her eyebrows. "And how exactly are they going to know if the Avatar is amongst them?" she pressed.

Katara groaned, turning back to look at the border patrol. "Those are _chi_ blockers, and not just any chi blockers. Those are hardcore, trained by masters, chi blockers. No electric signals from them, no. They're highly skilled warriors who know exactly where a bender's pressure points are. There's no little tingle from them. They're full-force knock you out, make you weak types. And since we don't have our proper identification there's no way to prove that we aren't benders, so they're going to chi block us whether we like or not. And we all know what happens when you try to chi block the Avatar," she explained, her hand on the door.

Aang and Toph and even Zuko blinked. Katara slapped her hand against her face. Was she the only one that studied history? "You trigger the _Avatar State_ ," she spat, and then she opened the door and stepped outside. She only hoped that the elite chi blockers were as ignorant about ancient history as the rest of them were. She launched herself at Aang's door, and opened it, ripping him out of his seat. "What are you doing?!" both Aang and Toph cried, but Katara didn't listen to them. Instead, she forced Aang towards the border patrol. He wasn't very strong, and he didn't dare airbend in front of all the drivers. He struggled, but Katara easily held onto him.

"I have him!" she yelled, catching the attention of a few chi blockers. They stared at her calmly as she yelled again. "I have the Avatar!" At that, she shoved Aang forward, and he fell, arms flailing, onto the ground. As he turned around, his face was full of hurt, and Katara for a second felt guilty, but she knew what she was doing. "You _stupid, selfish, ignorant bitch_!" Toph screamed, throwing herself at Katara. Katara sidestepped Toph as Zuko caught her mid-jump. Toph, like Aang, didn't dare earthbend. "Can you calm down?" Zuko snapped. Toph's face was red. "She's a traitor!" she cried. Katara stood taller as the chi blockers advanced on Aang. "Toph, shut up, I'm trying to save our lives," Katara hissed, stepping towards the chi blockers a bit.

"You're welcome!" she cried, holding her hands up as the chi blockers looked down at the still fallen Aang. Aang glared up at Katara with intense hatred, and Katara smiled. She knew that's all it would take. Aang, in his fury, forced himself up, using airbending to propel himself high. But he didn't even make it halfway. The chi blockers hadn't been trained to identify the Avatar, they had been trained to recognize bending alone, regardless of who was actually doing it. The chi blockers had seen bending, and they attacked. Their fingers became invisible as they hit pressure point after pressure point on Aang, beneath his shoulder, on his forearm, and many other places. Katara closed her eyes for a second and prayed to Yue that this worked.

At that moment, Aang's flinching figure froze, suspended in mid-air. Katara's breath hitched in her throat. Toph stopped struggling against Zuko's hold. The chi blockers stopped their blocking, watching as Aang's body erected fully, and his tattoos began to glow a brilliant white light through his clothes. It blinded Katara, and she stumbled back, covering her eyes. The light illuminated the whole of the highway, as many people peered out of their cars to get a glimpse.

And then Aang's eyes opened, and they were the same brilliant shade of illumination. Katara smiled.

It worked.


	5. Of Secrets And Powers

**Enjoy!**

 _Of Secrets And Powers_

Before the chi blockers realized what had happened, Katara bent the water out of her skin and directed them in small, paper thin spirals towards the chi blockers. They twirled around three chi blockers ankles, and as they were too focused on Aang's glowing figure, they didn't deflect the water.

Katara pulled her hands to her side, and the three bodies were yanked from their previous location, and swung high over the traffic barrier, flying over the incoming traffic, flailing wildly before landing unconscious on the other side of the road. Taking a cue from Katara, Zuko let go of Toph, who also set her feet and held her stance. They couldn't evade a fight now, the chi blockers had seen Katara, and they were prepared. But nothing could stop Aang.

Katara hadn't ever seen the Avatar state before, all the old textbooks she read didn't have any pictures. She only knew that the Avatar State was designed to protect the Avatar in situations of extreme danger. It's a culmination of all the past Avatar's energies combining, creating unprecedented power. As these words flowed through Katara's head, and she brought her water back to her, she knew that what she could do was nothing compared to Aang.

He lifted his hands, and the earth around him shot up, uprooting the border patrol stations, and knocking out half of the chi blockers with it. The earth created a sort of ring, shoving all other cars and beings a few hundred feet away. The remaining stragglers scattered like flies, running for their lives. Aang proceeded to use airbending to blow at least sixteen border patrol agents out of the ring at once, but there were so many of them, and Katara didn't know where they were coming from.

Even with Aang in the Avatar State, the three other benders would have to defend themselves. And so Katara turned away from Aang, and focused her energy on the agents that came running towards them from the east. She took a deep breath, and pulled out the water again, this time holding it like a whip, which she snapped at four agents, effectively shoving them backwards, each of them toppling over the other. Zuko stood next to Katara, in a traditional firebending stance, and he shot balls of flame at the chi blockers, who very strategically ducked to avoid them, even managing to jump over Toph's pillars of earth that she shot up at them.

They were not to be underestimated. With the agents taken care of, all three benders turned to face the six or seven chi blockers who were advancing on them. Katara heard a large boom behind her, but forced herself to keep looking ahead. Aang had his side under control, she knew that for sure.

She brought her water in close, and twisted it around her body, encasing her in a thin layer of water. She tried to clear her mind and form a plan. As she contemplated a possible plan, Zuko sent a wave of pure fire towards the chi blockers, taking out three of the seven. The other five pulled out some sort of fireproof cape over themselves, tucking it quickly behind them as soon as the threat of fire was gone.

Katara reopened her eyes, and looked at Toph, who seemed to be trying to think of a plan of attack too. "Toph, can you give me a boost?!" Katara cried over the raging wind that was coming from the Avatar behind her. Toph gave her a nod, and before Katara knew it, she was flying through the air, high above the chi blockers, having been propelled by one of Toph's earth pillars.

Katara let her waterbending instincts take over, and gracefully soared through the air, and as she rotated, she bent the water from around her, and separated it into individual spikes a water with a flex of her fingers. With a small breath, she froze all four dozen or so water spikes, turning them into deadly weapons. She looked down at the chi blockers, and instead of seeing people, she saw the targets that she had set up in the field outside of town where her and Zuko used to practice bending in secret.

Exhaling slowly, she pulled her hands back, and then shoved them forward, and all of her icicles zoomed past her, and the second she landed, she saw all seven chi blockers pinned to the ground, their wrists and ankles having barely missed the sharp point of the frozen water. Before they had time to break free of the restraints, Toph stomped her foot and each blocker was encased in a layer of impenetrable stone. Katara took a deep breath, wiping her forehead.

She looked over to where Aang's swirling sphere used to be, and instead saw him collapsed onto the ground, the unconscious bodies of dozens of blockers and agents alike strewn around him. "Aang!" Toph exclaimed, running towards him. She pulled him up, and he leaned against her, his head rolling. "Is he okay?" Zuko called, taking Katara's hand. Thankfully for Katara, Zuko was too busy straining to see Aang to notice her blush.

Toph groaned, standing Aang up all the way. She released him slowly, and while he was a bit wobbly, he was able to stand on his own. "Yeah, he's okay, just a little disoriented," she called back. Zuko and Katara walked hand-in-hand to where Aang was rubbing his temples. "That was amazing," Katara complimented. Aang just kind of nodded his head. "Thanks," he breathed. Toph slung her arm across his shoulders and gave him a side hug. "That was more than amazing, that was awesome!" she cried. Aang smiled tiredly, hugging her back. "Thanks Toph. Although, from what I can see, you guys were pretty awesome too," he said, gesturing to the trapped chi blockers. The four benders stared at them, before Zuko spoke up.

"We should probably get going. The edge of the island is still a ways away," he said. Katara and the others nodded, and went back to their mangled car so that Aang and Toph could grab their things that they neglected to pack when Katara told them to. Once they had their bags, they crossed the border, and climbed into one of the many abandoned cars. They drove away quickly, the scene left behind one for the books.

"Did you even know the Avatar State existed?" Katara asked once the gang was approaching the edge of the island. Aang shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, yeah, I knew it existed, I just didn't know how it worked," he said, pulling his hood further down his head. Toph rested her hand on his thigh. Aang didn't really seem to notice the gesture, and looked worriedly out the window.

"Relax, Twinkletoes, we're almost to the edge. Then it's just a nice walk across the bridge," Zuko said. And then his eyes widened. He and Katara locked eyes and spoke in unison. "The bridge," they said. Katara slapped her forehead, feeling immensely stupid. How often had she visited the bride on field trips? How often had she read about the bridge? It didn't even cross her mind that there was no way they'd be able to cross the bridge without serious obstacles. The bridge connecting Omashu to the mainland was absolutely crawling with chi blockers and, ironically, firebenders. The firebenders were traitor benders, who swore their allegiance to the anti-bending movement, in exchange for their protection. The government, as backwards as it was, agreed to protect them only if they could utilize their bending to keep other benders from escaping. It was the most ridiculous, hypocritical thing Katara had ever heard of, and it made her furious even thinking about it.

"We can't go across the bridge," Katara said. Aang stopped looking out the window. "Why not?" he asked. Katara turned to look at him. "It's covered with chi blockers and actual firebenders," She held up her hand when Toph opened her mouth to ask questions. "Don't ask, I don't even want to talk about it," Toph closed her mouth, but reopened it with a different question. "Do you guys forget that I'm an earthbender?" she pointed out.

Zuko and Katara glanced at each other, and then Zuko looked back at the road and Katara focused her attention back on Toph. "No, of course not. It's just, you can't hear a structure," she remarked. Toph gave her such a look that it made Katara feel stupid. What? She wasn't wrong, Toph was blind, and sure, she was good at getting around, but Katara just assumed that that was because she's lived in Omashu her whole life. She didn't have a seeing-eye dog or any other sort of assistance, after all.

"I don't just hear things, Katara. I see them just as well as you," she explained. At this Katara and Zuko dropped their jaws. What? Toph was blind, how could she see? It wasn't feasible, she had to be lying, making something up to get attention. "Let me explain," she said. Katara glanced at Aang, who shrugged his shoulders. "It's true," he said nonchalantly. Toph lifted her leg, and about shoved her foot in Katara's face. She was wearing sneakers, but the bottom of them had been ripped clean off, leaving her bare foot to touch the ground. "I see with my feet. I use earthbending to feel the vibrations in the earth. I know that we just passed an old elementary school, and that there's a bridge that we're about to go under. I can see just as well as you can, except I don't use my eyes. Oh, and there's another thing," she said, smirking.

Aang chuckled a bit, as if it were an inside joke. Katara narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips. She didn't like it when Toph acted all cocky. To be honest, Katara didn't like a lot of things about Toph. "I can tell when you're lying," she stated. At this, Katara's heart fell into her stomach. What the _fuck_? She could tell if someone was lying? How? And how could Katara know if Toph wasn't lying about being able to detect a lie? Before she could ask these questions, Toph spoke again. "Since I can't see with my eyes, my other senses are enhanced. My hearing is better than that of a seeing person, and I since I'm an earthbender, I can feel the vibrations in your heart too, and I can tell when you're not being truthful," she elucidated.

Okay, Katara could not deny how impressive that ability was. Toph was an extraordinary bender, with immense power, and Katara could not underestimate her anymore. But Toph shouldn't underestimate Katara either, or Zuko for that matter. And if they were laying all their secrets out, Katara felt that she should come clean on her other abilities. "Well, since you just told us about your secret powers, I guess I should tell you mine," she said, and she smirked too, but there was a little bit more malice in hers. Toph and Aang stared at her, and Aang recoiled a bit.

Zuko's eyes flicked towards Katara, and he almost told her not to say anything, but he kept his mouth shut and focused on the road. Katara continued. "I can bend the blood running through people's veins," she uttered softly. Aang's eyes widened at that, and he physically shoved himself against the seat, trying to get away from Katara. Toph, on the other hand, smiled gleefully. "That," she said, holding out her hand. "Is badass," Katara couldn't help it, she smiled too, and shook Toph's hand. She wasn't quite expecting that reaction from Toph, but it felt nice to be appreciated.

"I can also heal people's wounds," she added as a side note. At that, Aang sat up straighter, his eyes bright. "That's neat," he said sweetly. Katara shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal, even though it totally was. "Is there anything special that you can do, Zuko?" Toph asked, crossing her arms. Zuko hesitated, his face flushing. "Um," he said, feeling lame. "Not really," Katara hit his shoulder. "Oh, quit being modest," she declared. She turned around towards Toph and Aang. "He's learning how to redirect and produce lightning," she whispered.

Toph and Aang both 'awed' at that, and Zuko flushed a bit, smiling. "I really should have paid more attention in ancient history," Aang mused. Katara faced the front and sighed. "It wouldn't have mattered. They don't teach about the days when bending was an accepted practice. I only know so much because I've spent most of my life researching it," she said, a tone of sadness seeping into her voice. The four rode in silence for a little while, before Zuko had a realization.

"Uh, wasn't Toph going to tell us how we could get across the bridge, before all the secret-ability talk started?" he said. "Oh yeah!" Toph cried, sitting up straighter. "I was just going to say that I can bend a new bridge for us, but it's going to take more than just me," She spun around to look at Aang. "I'll need your help Aang,"


	6. Allusions and Alias's

**Enjoy the references. :D**

 _The Outlands -September 2015_

"Stronger! You're not bending air, you're bending rocks! Heavy, huge rocks!" Toph screamed, glaring at Aang. Aang gulped, and tensed his muscles more, beads of perspiration on his brow. Zuko and Katara stood on either side of them, ready to fight off any chi blockers or firebenders, but thankfully for them, Toph had chosen such a secluded area that the only things they ran into where little squirrels and winged lemurs. Perhaps this time they would actually get out safely and easily.

Katara wasn't looking, but she heard when both Toph and Aang earthbended, and she felt the ground shake as the rock shot out of the side of the mountain, and reached to the other side, the mainland, the desolate, forbidden lands that nobody ever ventured to. Of course, there were railway lines and airplanes to take citizens to the other nations, but nobody had ever set foot on the uncharted territory between Omashu and the former Earth Kingdom.

Legend's told that benders sometimes ran away to such areas, and that little colonies had sprouted up, but Katara highly doubted their existence. What with all the nation's governments working in tandem to stop bending, she knew that they would use many resources to destroy the rumored colonies. And that made Katara so angry. The government had not only taken away her ability to be herself, but also her ability to hope. She clenched her fists from where she stood, and accidentally pulled some water out of the air around her, dousing her in the liquid.

Frustrated, she bended it off and away from her. "Is everything okay?" Zuko called from afar. Katara looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are they almost done?" she asked. Both she and Zuko turned to look at Toph and Aang, and sighed with relief when the man-made bridge hit the other side of the landscape. "Come on!" Toph shouted, gesturing for Zuko and Katara to climb back in the car. As the four benders buckled up, Katara commended both Aang and Toph on their hardwork.

"That was amazing, you two," she said, and while Aang smiled and accepted the praise, Toph just looked shocked and surprised at Katara's kindness. "Let's get out of here," Zuko said, throwing the car into gear and speeding off down the bumpy bridge, being extra careful not to swerve near the edges. It was a clear drop-off to the bottom of the ravine, and while Katara had an idea that Aang would somehow be able to save them, she didn't want to test that theory.

However, she needn't worry, because they crossed to bridge and were safely on the other side of Omashu. Toph and Aang pressed their hands firmly down, and the bridge collapsed into dust, and the mountain city of Omashu faded as they drove further and further away.

Eventually, the terrain became too rough for the car, and the group was forced to abandon it and hike the rest of the way. Where they were going was unclear, but Katara assumed that they would run into some sort of civilization at some point. And so they walked, with packs on their bags, complaining the whole way. None of them were used to having to travel in such obsolete ways. "Too bad the government killed off all of the magnificent flying bison," Aang mused, airbending his sweat off of him and Toph. Katara was too hot to tell Aang to shut up with his incessant chatter, and so she just let him continue with it.

"Yeah, that would've been nice," she remarked. Aang took a swig of water, his gait slowing ever so slightly. Actually, now that Katara was paying attention, all four outlaws were slowly losing their energy and stamina. They would have to set up camp soon. "I would name my flying bison Appa, if I had one," Aang murmured, his feet dragging.

Both Zuko and Toph weren't speaking at all. They had kept their mouths shut for the past hour, and Zuko only ever showed signs of acknowledgement when he helped Katara over a log or some other obstacle. Toph might as well have not been there.

"Alright guys, let's set up camp here," Katara said, stopping after they passed a nice, soft looking patch of grass. The forest they were hiking through wasn't particularly dense, and this patch of grass seemed to be a meadow, with a clear view of the sky above. The way they were going to have to live was so prehistoric and archaic, Katara wanted to rip her hair out. It actually wouldn't be a bad idea to make like Aang and shave her head. At least then should wouldn't have to worry about constantly washing it.

 _First world problems_ , she thought to herself, before unrolling her thin sleeping bag and finding the softest patch of grass to curl up on. Thankfully, she had Zuko, who laid down right next to her, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. While the two had never officially entered into a relationship, the both of them knew that they were more than friends.

"Goodnight everyone," Aang said sweetly, from a few feet away. Toph grunted in agreement from the same area, and Katara could only assume that they were close together as well. If not for comfort than for warmth. Katara rested her head against Zuko's head, and looked up at the sky, badly missing electric heaters and her computer, but knowing that it would all be worth it when they made it to Ba Sing Se. But that was still so far away.

When Katara awoke, the first thing she noticed was that nobody was rapping on her door to wake her up to do morning chores. And while her bed was strangely flat and hard, she relished in being able to sleep in. She was warm, and something bright was shining above her eyes. Had she forgotten to turn off her lamp?

Suddenly, she felt movement, and as she hastily opened her eyes, the memories of the past day and half returned to her disoriented mind. Sitting up quite abruptly, her head dizzy, she rubbed her eyes and looked to her left, and saw Toph's sleeping figure next to her, her legs splayed and her hair crazy from a restless slumber. Aang and Zuko were already awake, and Aang was packing up their things while Zuko did his best to brew some tea, holding a pot over a fire that Katara assumed he conjured himself.

"Morning," he said as he caught sight of Katara. She stood up, yawning, and walked over, plopping next to Zuko and stretching her arms. The strong scent of jasmine floated out of the small pot, and Katara's mouth watered. It was dry. "I'm assuming that we're leaving soon?" she asked, popping her knuckles. She had to force herself not to laugh at Zuko's obvious inexperience cooking without electricity. He kept stirring the tea, and Katara just wanted to catch his hand and tell him to let it be, but he spoke, and Katara was distracted.

"Yeah, the Avatar is already packing up. It's going to be quite the long haul today. I just hope we run into some sort of civilization," he said, and then he put out the flame and poured four cups of tea, producing small paper cups from his bag. What other mundane products had he brought along with him? He handed one to Katara, who drank it eagerly, though she had to force herself to keep it down, because it was basically just very hot water. But hey, at least Zuko tried.

"Speaking of that, we need to come up with some sort of cover story. Four outlaw benders fleeing the oppressive government of Omashu along with the Avatar isn't exactly what people will be wanting to hear from us," she pointed out, standing up and rolling up her sleeping bag. Zuko followed her, sitting a cup of tea by Toph and gently shaking her awake. Aang walked over and took his drink, downing it instantly and then leaning down to help Toph wake up. "What did you have in mind then, Katara?" he asked, pulling Toph up. Katara shrugged her shoulders, zipping up her jacket.

"I don't know, something simple. To start, none of us are benders," she said. "Well, duh," Toph uttered, her voice thick with sleep. Katara ignored her, and focused instead on stuffing her sleeping bag into her backpack and changing her socks. "We're all from an orphanage that was unfortunately overrun with rebel benders, and all of our identification was destroyed in the process," She made eye contact with the other three, making sure they were following. "Besides, it's not like that's never happened," she added.

She slung her pack across her back, and the other three copied her, Toph going a bit slower having just woken up. "What about our names?" Zuko asked, scanning the area, making sure they hadn't left any sign of them being here. Katara pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes in concentration. "Um, well, my name can be Kya, an ancient water tribe member, and Zuko, we can change yours to Iroh maybe? I read about him, he was nicknamed the Dragon of the West, he was quite legendary back in ancient times," Zuko smiled at that, he loved hearing Katara talk history.

"As for you, Aang, how about Tenzin? Nothing too strange, nor too normal? Sorry, it doesn't have an interesting backstory, but I couldn't exactly name you Roku, could I?" she said, and she waited for the laughter, but frowned when none came. She had to remind herself that she was the nerd, the history buff. Aang's eyes lit up at the name, despite it's lack of historical background. "That's cool, I've always liked that name," he remarked, looking over at Toph. "What about me?" she asked, crossing her arms, her bangs covering her filmy eyes. Katara leaned against her left leg, resting her fingers on her chin, in mock contemplation. "Well, since I'm choosing, I'd really prefer to call you just 'The Boulder', but that's clearly not an option, so how about Bumi?" she suggested. Toph hesitated, and then shrugged her shoulders. "Sounds good to me," she said. Katara grinned. "He was actually the ancient leader of some far away Earth colony-not Ba Sing Se, but-," But Toph shoved past Katara, holding up her hand. "Yeah, I'm not interested in all that history jazz. That was the past, and this is now," she said. Katara, offended, held back, her fingers twitching with anger. Zuko put a hand on her shoulder, as did Aang, and Katara didn't know if they did it out of sympathy or just because they didn't want Katara acting Toph quite so soon. "Don't listen to her, she's just not a morning bird, that's all," Aang assured, and then ran to catch up with Toph. Zuko and Katara, in typical fashion, hung back, walking at a slower pace than the other two.

"This is going to be such a fun journey," Katara said sarcastically. Zuko chuckled, throwing his arm around Katara's shoulder and jerking her close to him. "Yeah, but at least we have each other," he said. Katara grinned, and the two fell step-in-step. "And by the way," Zuko pointed out. "I love hearing you talk history,


	7. The Festival

**Okay, so hopefully my allusion in this story doesn't confuse you about the Gaang. We just have to pretend that the timeline that was ATLA has been replaced by a different group, meaning a different Avatar, a different waterbender, firebender, earthbender, etc. I will go more into that later. You just have to wrap your head around the fact that ATLA never took place, because I've moved the characters to the present day. Just PM me if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer. Sometimes there is just simply no avoiding confusion.**

 _In A Suburban Colony -September 2015-_

"Flameo, hotman!" Aang said, bowing low to a passerby who, thank God, was too busy burying their nose in their smartphone to notice the comment. Katara leaned around and backslapped Aang, who stumbled backward, clutching his redding cheek. "Are you trying to be funny?" she hissed, ignoring Toph's look of offense. Aang narrowed his eyes, pulling his hood tighter around his head. "Of course not," he said. "I just thought that's what Fire Nation citizens said to each other, and since this used to be Fire Nation land," he remarked. Katara wanted to drag her nails down her face at his ignorance.

"Yeah, maybe a thousand years ago, but times have changed," she said. Aang swallowed and tucked his hands into his jean pockets. "I'm sorry, Katara. I'll just keep my mouth shut from now on," he said, his voice low. Katara huffed, pulling her chapstick out of her bag. "Yeah, maybe you should," she muttered, applying the chapstick to her cracked lips. The group of benders were in the midst of a suburban colony, and based on the signs, they were only a few hundred miles from the area formerly known as Republic City, the ancient city founded by that era's Avatar, after the end of the hundred-year-war. Katara was eager to visit it, even if it had been overtaken by the oppressive anti-bending government of today.

The group had basically stumbled upon the colony, and were forced to maintain their new identities, and that included shedding any artifacts that weren't strictly modern and up-to-date with today's societal norms, which meant that Katara had to let all of her old water tribe collectives drift down the river. She didn't speak for an hour because of it. Even when they were outlaws, the government still had a hold of her. Despite that, the group still looked like refugees, like runaways, and so they had to hastily memorize their vague backstory and venture into town, hoping someone would take them in.

At first, they didn't encounter anyone, for all the citizens were driving in cars or inside coffee shops, and Katara had to remind herself that they weren't in Omashu anymore, this wasn't a huge city, where tourists often came to visit. They'd have to find the central hubbub, the downtown. And it wasn't particularly hard. In fact, there seemed to be some sort of festival going on.

After cleverly burying their backpacks in a hole that Toph creatively covered up using earthbending, the four benders, undercover, walked towards the sound of music and the smell of fried food. All of sudden, the four were sucked into a crowd so thick it was hard to tell which way was left and which way was right. "Wow, this is quite the celebration," Toph said, squeezing between two rather gluttonous men who were too busy taking ridiculous selfies to notice tiny Toph.

"I wondering what exactly they're celebrating," Zuko mused, looking at the electric billboards and signs that lit the street with their neon glow. There were advertisements for various Mango products and their competitors flashing wildly. Seeing them made Katara miss her smartphone badly, and her computer, and all other forms of technology. It was going to be a rough couple months. As the group waded through the crowd, they eventually made it to a point where the amount of people thinned, and they were able to grab a table and sit around it.

"Okay, according to that banner, it seems to be the anniversary of something," Zuko said, pointing to a large white plastic banner stretching from one building to the other, high up in the sky. It was inscribed with a date that occurred about five hundred years ago. Katara recognized it, and she tried very hard to keep the disgusted look off of her face. "It's the anniversary of when Avatar Korra was defeated, and the anti-bending movement spread worldwide, and became the new form of government," she said, and the words burned her throat. Had it really been that long since benders had their freedom?

Suddenly, a waitress appeared, tablet in hand, with a fake smile plastered on her face. "Hello, what can I get you four to drink?" she asked. Slightly shocked, for none realized they had entered a restaurant, they each assumed their different personas. "Um, just a water for me," Toph said, her voice an octave higher than usual, and her back straight, rather than hunched like usual. The waitress tapped on her tablet, and then looked at Zuko. Katara couldn't help but notice her eyes scan him, giving him the once-over, and it made her a bit frustrated. "And for you, sir?" she asked, a hint of lust in her voice.

Zuko, oblivious, hid his face in the shadows, and ordered a water as well, using a thick accent that resembled someone hailing from the north. Aang, who had dropped his voice lower and somehow sounded very much older, ordered jasmine tea, and did his best to keep his hood tight. He looked like a dork, but what else could he do? He had been stupid enough to put the damn marks all over his body in the first place. Katara was last, and in her effort to keep the waitress's eyes from wandering, she looped her arm through Zuko's, and used a typical valley-girl voice to order her soda.

The waitress, looking a bit offended, scurried away. After she was gone, the four benders relaxed their exaggerated stances, and Toph burst out laughing. Katara narrowed her eyes as she separated herself from Zuko and crossed her arms. "What?" she asked stupidly. Toph shook her head, trying to catch her breath. "I just think it's funny that you chose to use that accent, because now you'll have to use it whenever we run into anyone," she explained in little pockets, having to pause and laugh between each. Katara groaned at the realization, and felt like an idiot for doing it. Zuko and Aang chuckled too, and Katara just shoved her seat back and crossed her arms even tighter.

Zuko scooted back too, and placed his hand on Katara's shoulder. "I just can't believe you're jealous," he said. Katara looked at him, eyebrows scrunched. "You can't? She was obviously interested," Katara dropped her eyes to the ground, focusing on a crack in the brickwork. "And she was taller than me, and, uh, curvier, and," she was about to keep adding to the list, but Zuko held up his hands, his face serious. "Katara," he said, taking her hand. Katara wasn't used to Zuko acting this way around her.

He spoke slowly, keeping his voice low. "Don't worry about other girls looking at me, because I'm not paying any attention to them, okay?" he said. Katara blinked at him, and then nodded, swallowing and looking at the ground. Zuko lifted his hands from hers, and Katara was grateful that he didn't say something romantic and sappy, because she didn't feel like discussing anything like that right now. Not when they were in hiding. And so Zuko didn't press the issue, and the two returned to the table, and Toph and Aang were polite and pretended to have been super interested in a reenactment of how Korra was killed. Although, if Katara knew any better, she'd say that the look on Toph's face was one of utter amusement.


	8. The Freedom Riders

**This was a fun chapter to write. Enjoy!**

 _At The Festival -September 2015-_

"We should find a place to stay until we can figure out where to go from here," Aang said, slamming down his fourth cup of extremely fragrant green tea on the table. Katara flinched a bit, but she agreed with Aang. Her eyelids were getting heavier by the minute, and every now and then her speech was interrupted by a large yawn. The four benders had danced the night away, just trying to fit in, and while they seemed a bit lackluster to onlookers, they felt a sense of normality. Not that any of them had ever been to a dance party, but whatever.

"Maybe they have some sort of homeless shelter," Katara suggested, standing up and stretching. The other three stared at her, eyes unblinking. She felt the blood pool in her cheeks as she recoiled from their gaze. "Okay, ignore me, it was a bad idea," she said, rubbing her arms which were cold in the crisp, night air. Zuko stood up and wrapped his arm around Katara's shoulders. "We'll probably just end up camping in the woods again," he said, looking down at Katara glumly. Toph and Aang murmured in agreement, and also stood up, shivering at the sudden gust of cold wind.

The four were about to pack up and make a break for it when a voice stopped them. "You guys aren't from around here, are you?" it said in a deep, musky voice. The runaways turned towards the source of the noise, and each took a step back when they saw who the voice belonged to. It was a boy, not much older than any of them, but he stood tall and proud, dressed in expensive clothes that even _smelled_ foreign, with a small little smirk on his face. He had a very defined jawline, and black hair that he kept styled just so.

From his pocket he produced one of those vapes that had recently replaced actual smoking. It shined in the darkness, the silver metal glistening and reflecting the moonlight. The boy took a drag of it, and when he released the vapor, a sickly sweet scent of lavender stung their noses. "Who are you?" Katara asked, being the brave one, and stepping forward, lifting her a chin a bit, as if it made any difference. The boy put his vape back in his pocket, and leaned back, resting his weight on his right leg. He crossed his arms as his eyes scanned Katara once.

Suddenly self-conscious, she pulled her frock tighter around her and wished she had worn something a bit more modest. Zuko stepped forward ever so slightly, the tendons in his neck standing out. Katara held out her hand, signaling him to stop. He obeyed. The tall, mysterious boy narrowed his eyes and stepped further into the light, illuminating himself completely. Katara had to admit, he was very attractive. She couldn't help the blush that flushed her cheeks.

"My name is Jet," he introduced, and then held out his hand. Katara hesitated, and looked behind her at the others. Zuko gave a small shake of his head, but Aang and Toph shrugged their shoulders, just as intrigued as she was. Katara turned around, and pierced this so-called Jet's eyes, noticed they were a slippery grey, and shook his hand. He was surprisingly gentle, his hand soft and smooth, and Katara found herself hanging on a bit too long, and she dropped it hastily, embarrassed.

Jet snickered a bit, and then looked past Katara at the other three. "Oh," Katara exclaimed, jumping a bit. "My name is Ka-, Kya, and this is Bumi, Tenzin, and Iroh," she introduced, pointing at each person. Aang gave a little wave, and Toph gave a sharp nod. Zuko did not acknowledge Jet at all. Jet nodded back, smirking a bit more. "Interesting names," he said, and the look he gave Katara made her doubt her alias. She shrugged it off, and ignored the comment.

Jet pursed his lips, took a drag of his vape again, and then tsked his tongue. "You guys have a place to stay?" he asked, staring at Katara again. She opened her mouth to speak, but Zuko interrupted her, stepping forward and pressing his arm against Katara's chest, halfway shielding at her. Jet's eyes gave Zuko the once-over, and he just shook his head, smiling a bit, his eyes looking upward, unimpressed. "We're fine," Zuko said, his voice cold and hostile. Jet narrowed his eyes, and crossed closer, until he was face to face with Zuko. They were the same height, but it was clear that Jet was stronger than Zuko. But he wasn't a bender. That was pretty clear. He didn't hold himself like a bender would, he didn't have the slight flicker of fear in his eyes that all benders carried nowadays, and he certainly didn't act shy or ashamed. He needed to be careful. Zuko was not someone you messed with.

"Hey, calm down Z-, I mean Iroh, just let Jet help us," Katara pleaded, stepping between the two of them and feeling devilishly small. Aang and Toph, who had just been watching the scene unfold from a few feet behind, finally rushed forward, and took hold of each of Zuko's arms, careful to keep them pinned to his sides. Zuko huffed, looked at Katara, who looked back up at him, her eyes fierce, trying to prove to him that everything would be okay. After a moment, he shoved Aang and Toph off of him, and rubbed his elbows. "Are you inviting us to stay with you?" he spat, looking down at the ground.

Jet chuckled, smirking down at Katara, who tried to keep her face blank, but she ended up blushing anyway. Jet seemed to have that effect on her. "Yeah, follow me," he said, turning around and waving his hand. Hesitantly, and somewhat reluctantly, the four benders followed the mysterious boy down the street, around the corner, a few more blocks until finally the wound up at an old abandoned house. The five gathered in front of it, and while the four runaways looked up at the decrepit building, Jet's eyes were trained on Katara, analyzing her reaction.

"Don't worry, I don't live here," Jet said, opening the creaky gate and gesturing for the others to walk inside. From outside, it didn't seem like anyone lived in the house, but as the five bodies entered, and the benders' eyes scanned the high ceilings and cracked walls, it became clear that the house served as a hideaway for those undesired. Aang walked further inside, and then turned around. "There's something you're not telling us," he said gravely. Katara, Toph, and Zuko turned to look out at Jet, who leaned against one of the walls, peeled paint flaking off onto his expensive jacket.

"Very observant, Tenzin," he said, tipping his head in Aang's direction. Aang's eyes contracted, and he stepped closer to Toph. Katara couldn't stop herself, she hid halfway behind Zuko's body, and noticed his muscles contract, and his hands clench into fists. She suddenly felt very wary, and very stupid for trusting this Jet person so quickly. She blamed his mesmerizing charm. Jet strode forward, and clasped his hands together. "Alright, I guess I should just come out and say it. I know you're all benders," he said, and at that moment, the barrier had been broken.

Katara's eyes widened as her body automatically took a defensive form, her arms held bent at the elbows at her sides, ready to pull water from her skins that she always carried, hidden or not. Zuko planted himself in front of her, his arms raised as if he were going to redirect lightning. Aang's fluid airbender's stance was on Katara's left, and his eyes had lost their signature adolescent glimmer, and was replaced by something much more sinister. Toph stood strong, her feet rooted to the ground, her muscles tense and her arms unwavering. Jet could not possibly fight them all off.

And he knew that. Instead of freaking out, he held up his hands and chuckled. "Whoa guys, calm down, I'm not going to turn you in. I'm on your side," he explained, but the benders would not relax. They knew what kind of twisted, insane world they lived in, and they could only trust in each other, because who else could possibly understand. Toph stomped her foot, and a small little crack appeared, circling roughly around Jet's body. He barely even flinched. "You have about thirty seconds to explain yourself before I send you to the bottom of the earth," she warned, raising her hands a bit.

Jet paused, and then realized that Toph was being serious. His eyes lost their humor and his face turned serious. "Fine," he said, holding up his hands even higher. "My name really is Jet, and I really am on your side. I founded the group that call themselves the Freedom Riders. We're a secret, underground organization consisting of benders and non-benders alike, united in the effort to end this era of discrimination and remove the stigma attached to being able to bend the elements. It's my life's work, and I only want to help you. We're in search of the Avatar. We believe that with his assistance, we can at least take control over this city, and maybe that'll have some sort of ripple effect on the other suburbs, eventually leading to an armada able to take down all of Republic City," he said smoothly, as if he had rehearsed or given this speech many times.

Katara glanced at the others, each of who wavered a bit in their forms. Katara's eyes rested on Toph's. "Is he lying?" she asked quietly. Toph gave a harsh jerk of her head. So, he wasn't lying. Still, it was hard to believe that Jet was a member of a group that's influence had stretched back even to Katara's old school. "You said you're the founder of the Freedom Riders?" Katara asked, her voice venomous. Jet nodded, slowly lowering his hands.

Katara's mind was reeling, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't exactly trust Jet, but what else could she do? He knew they were benders, and he was on their side, and he was looking for the Avatar, who happened to be standing mere feet away from him at the moment. And besides, what other options did they have? And so Katara stood up straight, corking her water skins and dropping her arms. Jet relaxed a bit, pulling out his vape and releasing the intoxicating sweet fragrance of lavender into the air again.

"There's a group of kids back home who call themselves the Freedom Riders," Katara said, as the other copied her in their movements, Zuko taking his own sweet time doing so. Jet's eyes popped, and he hastily put away his vape, a genuine smile breaking across his face. "Really? My influence has spread that far? Where exactly are you from? What do they do, are they benders?" he pounded Katara with questions, and she had to force herself not to smile at his enthusiasm.

They were going to be okay, at least for a few days. Katara could feel it.


	9. Katara's Tale

**This one is a bit short, sorry! I've been lacking in the inspiration department lately, I apologize.**

 _In The Mansion -September 2015-_

All five of them were huddled around a fire that Zuko had materialized out of thin air, and the dull glow cast malevolent shadows on the walls and their faces as they each told their stories. The rest of the house was quiet, the other Freedom Riders having long since gone home or to sleep. Katara spoke last, and her voice was low, and ominous.

"All I remember of my parents were that they were poor, and they couldn't afford me. I don't even know what their names were, or where they came from, all I know is that I was raised in that group home, and I was taught that I had a curse placed upon me, because of my peasant parents, and that I had to learn to suppress it, or pay the price. And for the first ten years of my life, I did just that," Katara locked eyes with Zuko at that moment, and continued.

"I denied the urge to feel water, to touch water, to lift it from it's source and swirl it high above my head. It was one of the most difficult things to do, it was like trying not to breathe, it was that painful. And then I met Iroh," Katara rested her hand on Zuko's knee. The four runaways had decided against telling Jet their true names, because they saw it as too much of a risk, especially when it came to Aang, as they were still unsure whether or not to tell Jet that he was the Avatar. Katara continued.

"Well, technically, we didn't have a formal introduction, I just saw him in the hallways, and I knew that he was a bender too, I could tell because of his hunched shoulders and the fact that he had no friends, just like me. I didn't actually speak to him until I saw him bend in public for the first time. We were in Environmental Science, and we were using those burners, and mine wasn't working properly, and I was always so shy before I started using my bending, and so Iroh, who was standing right next to me, snapped his fingers and suddenly a flame lit and I gasped out loud, and of course we both got sent to detention, and it was there that Iroh convinced me that my ability was a gift, and I should learn to appreciate it, and practice it, and I believed him. I mean, he was the only other person who understood what I was going through, the only person who had ever approached me," Katara looked almost lovingly up at Zuko, who blushed and scooted infinitesimally closer to Katara, their legs touching.

"And then, he and I wound up in detention at least twice a week, and we started to have longer, more intellectual conversations, all leading up to us practicing our bending in secret, in the fields behind Iroh's house, and it stayed that way for the next six years, and then, uh, I did something that caused me to have to run away, and Iroh came with me," she finished, gazing at the others.

Toph, of course, had a blank look on her face, and Aang was looking at Katara with some form of empathy. Jet appeared to be only mildly intrigued, and leaned forward, dragging on his vape once again. "What did you do?" he asked. Katara glanced up at Zuko, who gave her an almost undetectable shake of his head. Katara pressed her lips into a line as she turned back to face Jet. "It's not important, all that matters was that it was against the law," she said simply. Jet narrowed his eyes, leaning back and licking his lips. "Alright then, where are you all heading? And how did Bumi and Tenzin get involved?"

Aang's eyes widened a bit, and he looked to Katara, who swallowed nervously. Jet was asking all of the right questions. "Um," Katara said, glancing nervously back at Aang. "They wanted to go to Ba Sing Se too, and I couldn't deny them the opportunity. I mean, they were benders too, they knew my motivation," she explained, and sighed a sigh of relief as Jet nodded and leaned back against the wall, clearly buying her story, which wasn't a complete lie, after all.

The group was silent for a moment, all eyes fixated on the flickering fire, and then Aang stood up abruptly, stretching. "Well, I think I'm going to turn in for the night," he said, and Toph followed, standing up and stretching as well. "Yeah, Twinkletoes and I are pretty beat from all that dancing," she said, and then the two of them left, their footsteps fading away. Jet watched them go, and then stood up as well, running his hand through his styled hair, messing it. "I guess that's my cue to leave as well," he said, staring directly at Katara. Katara smiled a bit, slumping against Zuko. "Thank you so much for giving us a place to stay," Katara said. Jet shrugged his shoulders, his hand on the front door.

"Don't thank me just yet. You don't get to stay here for free," he said, and Katara sat up straight again, taken aback. She hadn't expected that there would be payment. "We don't have any money," she started to say, but Jet shook his head, holding up his hands. "No, what you have is much more valuable than money," he said, and Katara narrowed her eyes, looking back at Zuko, who looked apprehensive as well. Jet continued. "I need your bending skills," he said, and before Katara could ask any questions, he left swiftly the door locking behind him. Katara hesitated a moment before sliding back next to Zuko.

"What a strange guy," he murmured, before putting out the fire and wrapping his arms around Katara. As she fell asleep to the beat of his heart, she couldn't agree more. Something about this whole situation just felt off.


End file.
